Belt-tightener and brake for sponging-machines.



L. BAJETT.

BELT TIGHTENEH AND BRAKE FOR SPONQING MACHINES. APPLlCATlQN HLED SEPT- 14. 1935.

1,296,970 Patented May15,1917.

I llll I I I 10 l of New Jersey,

LOUIS BAJ'ETT, 0F PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

IBELT-TIGHTENER AND BRAKE FOR SPON GING-MACI-IIN ES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 15,1212.

Application filed September 14, 1915. Serial No. 50,609.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS BAJETT, a subject of the President of France, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State have invented new and useful Improvements in Belt-Tighteners and Brakes for Sponging-Macl1ines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for treating cloth, and particularly to the type of machine which is employed for sponging cloth.

In the operation of these machines, the cloth is wound upon a perforated drum and steam is admitted to the interior of the drum so as to find its way through the perforations of the drum of cloth, thereby producing in the cloth a steaming or sponging effect. In somemachines this operation is repeated, and for this reason such machines usually comprise more than one drum such as I describe.

A principal object of my invention is to provide improved means for controlling the operation of the drums in winding the cloth on and off the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the driving forceapplied to the drum may be graduated.

A further object of the invention is to provide very simple hand-operated means for effecting the application of the driving means to the drum and for stopping the drums at will.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine forsponging cloth, having a plurality of drums with improved means for controlling the drums in order to facilitate the unwinding of the cloth from one drum, and the winding of the same upon the next drum.

Further objects of the invention pear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists in the general combination of parts and details hereinafter described, all of which contributeto produce an efficient sponging apparatus.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing,

Figure -1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine, the middle portion of the same being broken away.

will apand through the layers- Referring more particularly to the parts, the machine preferably comprises a frame 10 which is preferably provided with a plurality of drums such as the drums 11 and 12, which arerotatably mounted on the frame in a substantially horizontal position and in parallel relation. These drums 11 and 12 are perforated, and at one end are provided with tubular journals at which steam may be admitted by suitable steam pipe connections 13. I prefer to provide frictional driving means for rotating the drum 11. For this purpose I prefer to provide the shaft ll of drum 11 with a belt pulley l5, and over this belt pulley 15 a belt 16 passes. This belt normally runs loose so that it is ineffective to drive the drum, but it is ready to be actuated at will by the operator of the machine. For this purpose the lower end of the belt runs loosely around a continuously driven pulley such as pulley 18 which is mounted in the lower part of the frame on a suitable shaft 20.

The cloth is first wrapped upon the perforated drum l1 and then upon the drum 12, and is steamed while on each drum. It is then run ofi the drum 12 onto a removable roller 21 which is mounted on the frame. This removable roller is preferably provided at one end with a gudgeon 22 which is received in a suitable open hearing or notch on the frame at one side, and the opposite end of this roller is provided with an angular or square socket 23 which may receive an angular or square head 24 on the end of the spindle 25. This spindle 25 is normally pressed'inwardly by a spring 26, but has a knob 27 on its outer end by means of which it can be withdrawn so as to disengage the head 2i and enable the roller 21 to be re moved with the cloth wound upon it.

In order to control the rotation of the drum 11, I provide frictional means operating in such a way as to enable the driving force for the drum to be applied in a graduated degree. For this purpose, I prefer to employ the belt 16 already referred to, and I provide means for tightening this belt so that it may exert more or less of a driving force on the pulley 18 and which is carried by the shaft 14. To this end I prefer to mount a controlling lever 29 on the frame, said lever having a lower arm 30 carrying a belt-tightening pulley 31 which may come against the side of the belt 15, see Fig. 1.

A counterweight 32 tends to hold this pulley 31 off the belt. A lever 29 is provided'with' locking mechanism 33':of.any. suitableconstruction cooperating with a segment 34; which enables the-lever to be locked in different positions corresponding to different drivingleffiects. The upper part ofthe lever 29 is provided with anadjustable bracket.

35, the outer end of which is formed into abrake shoe 36. which lies adjacent to the face of a brake wheel 37. In orderto enablethebrackets35 to be adjustable, I prefen-toattaclnit to the lever by means of a.

mechanismand-itis, of course, desirable to..c0ntr0l this finger lever as well as the.

lever 29.-from-' the t 'eadle For this purpose Ivprefertoprovidean operating cord 4L1 havin-gz;;two, branches 12-and el3disposed near-the lever a-nd the branch 12 is attached to an arm of the finger lever 40 and .is normallytaut, while the branch 13 is normally slack. From. this arrangement, when. the treadle et-tlisr depressed, the finger lever 10 willibe, moved to unlatchthe. locking device 33, whereupon a continuedmovementofthe treadlemvillpull the lever 29.'by means of theibranch; cord 13.. This direction of movement, oftheatreadle will i start the drum rotating, If thetreadle is allowed to move in the, other direction, the counterweight 32 will applythe brake. 36 to the brake wheel and stop ithe drum.

The shaft 20- is preferably driven continueusly. by any, suitable. means suchas. a sprocket, chain. which. passes around a sprocket-1 wheel-1 16. on a. countershaft i7,

which,iscontinucusly driven byi power; for

example, by. an: electric motor, not illustrated I pr'efer to drive the drums 12 and 21 also. from this cou-ntcrshaft,and these drums. are. controlled in. such a; way that either drum can be rotated independently of the other-or stopped while the. other drum is rotated: For; this, purpose I prefer, to pro,- vide a friction; clutch 48 which may be. closed or thrown into its openpositionby anycsuitable means such as the lever 419, pivotallyi. supported at 50 on a suitable bracket, and this-lever is preferably-v disposed betweenthe drums-11and12 and controls the opera-tienof tlrei drum 12. Then the clutch 48' is closed, the motion is transmitted from the shaft 47 by means of a sprocket wheel 51' and a sprocket chain 52 to a sprocket wheel53i-ig-id on the shaft 54: of the drum 12.

The handle arm 55 of this lever is provided with suitable lockingmeans 56 for locking the clutch 18 open or closed. A similar arrangement is provided fori driving tl erdrum 21, preferably comprising a sprocket chain 57 which passes up around a suitable sprocket wheel .58 with a, .hub, 59. on shaft The. lower end-of this chain 57 asses. around a 3 suitable sprocketi heel ,on the shaft l'liivhichnormally runs loose'but whiclr may be dri-venfro-m .the shaftby. close ingithe-clutch 60;, This clutchi60 iscontrolled by means-of a. clutch lever 61, .the handle arm of which is providedf-with .suitable locking .mechanism; 62 forlocking; the clutch either closed or; open.

L prefentoprovide. sprocket Cllfl'lIISfdIl stead of belts in connection with tiredrums 12. and .21 because: the cloth ;in .rimning onto these d-rumshas already been. soaked with steam, and a considerable amount. of Walter; This.

may drop or fly ofi these. drums, water has abad effect. onqthe operation of the belts but has. no bad .eifecton the. open ation of'thc sprocket chains.-v

In the operation .of the-machine, the cloth is first wi.-.-ippecl upon the drum .11. where :it-

is steamed on, sponged? by admitting steam through, the connection. 13., After being steamed on this dru m the outer; end ofthe cloth isthen carried over andwra-pped upon the drum 1.2, a few turnsofsthe drum 12.being madeby rotating theg-drum by. hand through the agency ofthe. hand wheel. 63 carried by. the shaftof this drum. The clutch tS is then-closed and this-drives the chain 52 androtatesthe drum 12by power.

While on thi s-drum, thie'cloth is. steamed by admitting steam, through the connection .13..

After being sufficiently steamed on this drum, the lever 55.,is operated so as to open the. clutch 4-8, and the cloth is then wrapped upon-the. drum or'removablerollen 21, the first few! tuitnsbeing madeby means of a hand wheel- 6.4- onthe spindle; 25 of this drum. The. clutch 16.0 is then closed and this drives the sprocket chain 57 which imparts rotation bypower to, the roller 21. As soon as the cloth has.beemcompletelywrapped uponit, tllGnI'OllBI 21 may. be removed by pulling;- spindle 25 outwardly through the medium of; its. head 27.

It is understood thatthe embodiment of the invention ,set forth herein is only; one of the many embodimentsor; forms the invention-may take, and I do. not wish to .be limited in the practice of the invention nor in my claim to the particular. embodiment set forth.

What I claim is:

In an apparatusfor spongingicloth, having a belt-driven sponging-cylinder, and-a wheel tion of frame,

a pulley carried thereby and engaging the 5 belt to brake tion to engage the face DIGHJIS hold the pulley against 10 brake out holdin Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the tighten the same, said lever having a attached to its upper part in a posiof the wheel, and for locking said lever in a position to the belt and the of contact with the Wheel, and for g the brake againstthe wheel and the pulley 0E of the belt, means tending to hold said lever in the last named position, and a treadle for releasing said locking means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS BAJETT.

Witnesses:

F. I). AMMEN JOHN A. NUGENT.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

